


Fragile Things

by valix33



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bobby Nash Being a Dad, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-07 17:27:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21461791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valix33/pseuds/valix33
Summary: An AU fic where Bobby is a foster father and all of the 118 are his kids. Buck is the newest and youngest addition to the family amidst an emergency placement and a series of complicated events. Bobby tries to connect with Buck while at the same time being there for his adopted children and overcoming his own past.Featuring lots of angst, most of the characters as teenagers, and some heavy material so buckle up folks.
Relationships: Bobby Nash & Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1) & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Athena Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Howie "Chimney" Han, Howie "Chimney" Han & Bobby Nash
Comments: 29
Kudos: 188





	1. New Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my second multi-chapter fic for the 911 fandom and I hope you guys like it. In this story Bobby is his normal age, Chim is 17, Hen is 16, Eddie is 15, and Buck is 14. Other characters will appear in the story but mainly focused on the family, especially Bobby and Buck.

It had been a relative calm Sunday for the Nash family, as much as Bobby could expect. Sunday mornings he usually went to church, though he’d never force the trio to attend with him and trusted them to stay home. He’d recently settled in for the second and arguably more enjoyable part of the day, lazing about at home and watching a movie. Later that night he’d make their one family dinner of the week, and he knew that afterwards Eddie would rush upstairs to do the homework he’d been procrastinating and he’d hear the sound of Hen and Chim fighting in their room over whose turn it was to use the TV. For now though, it was nice to enjoy his brief peace and quiet before he returned to work the following morning. Perhaps it was too nice to last, because he was interrupted a little after 1 by his phone ringing. As soon as he saw the caller ID he knew what was going on.

“Hey Athena,” he said. “I don’t suppose this is about meeting up for coffee.”

“I’m really sorry Bobby but I didn’t have anyone else to call,” she responded over the phone. “There’s been a situation and I need a favor.”

“What kind of situation?”

“I’ve got an abuse allegation against a foster father and I need an emergency placement for one of his kids for the time being while I check it out. Most of the parents I work with don’t want the older kids. Any chance you got some free space?”

“Yeah I can take them. When can I expect you?” He heard an audible sigh of relief on the other end.

“I’ve still got some paperwork to fill out, I’ll bring him by in a few hours.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then.”

“Bye Bobby.” Athena hung up and Bobby turned off his movie, he’d have to finish it next weekend. This was a situation he’d been through multiple times before, he provided a home to kids of all ages and that was how he ended up with the three he’d adopted. There was so much to do before Athena showed up so he needed to get moving.

“Kids!” He shouted up the stairs. “Come down here for a minute, I need to talk to you.” It didn’t take long before he heard the thumping of their feet as they proceeded in a line down the stairs.

“What’s up?” asked Hen.

“I just got off the phone with Athena,” Bobby told them. “We’re going to have a guest for the time being.”

“So preparation time, then?” Chim questioned. The kids had been through this a few times before, all of them were good kids and did their best to help in these situations.

“Yep. I’ll need all of you to be on your best behavior starting now. We need to move some things out of the spare room into Eddie’s room.”

“Come on,” Eddie complained. “Do I have to have all that stuff in my room?”

“If you’d rather have a roommate, then I guess we’ll move the bed instead,” said Bobby.

“Never mind,” Eddie replied with a dejected sigh.

“Who’s the kid?” Hen inquired.

“I don’t know much yet. Just that he’s a boy.”

“Another boy?” she responded, slightly pouting. “I’ll be nice but would it kill you to bring home a girl one time?”

“Alright, let’s go,” Bobby told them. “We’ve got a few hours to make the place feel welcome.”

They spent the next hour straightening things up and clearing out the spare room, which always accumulated a bit of extra storage when it wasn’t in use. After that the three teens joined Bobby downstairs to watch TV for a bit. None of them really knew what to do in the time in between the call and the arrival so there wasn’t much to do but wait. Eventually that inevitable door ring happened and the kids scrambled upstairs as Bobby muted the TV and moved to answer the door. Standing on the porch was a woman his age, the social worker he’d gotten so familiar with, and a boy who looked to be in his early teens but had an innocent baby face. He was somewhat athletic in build but his demeanor was clearly withdrawn, looking at the ground to avoid eye contact.

“Hi Bobby,” Athena said pleasantly. “This is Buck. Buck, this is Bobby Nash.”

“Buck, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Bobby said with a warm smile, extending his hand. After an awkward moment where Buck’s eyes darted up to glance at him and then back down again, Bobby dropped his hand and stepped back. “Make yourself at home, your room is upstairs first on the right if you want to get settled.” Buck shuffled past him with a lone duffel bag of his things and moved upstairs.

“Thanks again for doing this Bobby,” Athena told him gratefully. “I know you and the kids have a lot going on right now.”

“We don’t mind helping,” he assured her. “So what do I need to know?”

“His name’s Evan Buckley but he’s gone by Buck as long as I’ve known him. He’s 14, I’ve already spoken to the principal about his classes. Multiple foster homes over the last several years, I’ve been managing his case. He’s a really good kid, just quiet. I need a safe place for him while this whole mess gets sorted out.”

“Alright, I’ll take good care of him.”

“I’ll have to take you up on that coffee soon,” she said. “Or maybe a drink. Have a good night, Bobby.”

“Goodnight, Athena.” As soon as she left, he went upstairs to go check on Buck. The trio had already assembled outside his room to try and be welcoming.

“Hey kid, just wanted to say welcome,” Bobby heard Chim say, but he heard no response. “Everyone calls me Chimney or Chim, this is Hen, and that’s Eddie.” By the time he reached the second floor there was still no response. He could see into Buck’s room and saw his duffel bag on the floor, the boy lying on the bed facing the wall.

“Alright guys, let’s give him some room to breathe,” he told the trio gently. They went back to their rooms and he softly approached Buck, kneeling beside the bed. “Hey bud, I know you’ve had a rough day so I wanted to let you know I’m here if you need anything. There’s a grocery list on the fridge if you want me to get you anything from the store, if you need clothes just let me know.” Still no response. “Dinner will be ready in a little bit, I hope you’ll consider joining us downstairs.” Although Buck shifted slightly he still didn’t say a word and Bobby realized he wouldn’t win this tonight. “I’ll be downstairs, come get me if you need anything. Anything at all.” With that he finally stood up and left Buck’s room, heading to the kitchen to make dinner. 

Given the events of the afternoon he figured going simpler was probably better but he’d be damned if he didn’t give his kids a nice home cooked meal. He grabbed some defrosted chicken from the fridge and some noodles from the pantry, deciding on chicken fettuccini. His recipes were ingrained in his memory by now so he proceeded mostly on autopilot, adding everything he needed to make it special for them. He thought about Buck and all the things he’d been able to learn about him just from their brief interaction. Many troubled kids had come through his doors, most only for a short time, but he’d learned how to deal with all types of first days. Some were immediately chatty, some were hostile for a while, and some like Buck were completely closed down. Bobby didn’t take it personally, he knew it was likely an instinct at this point and the poor kid had to be overwhelmed from everything that had happened today. If anything he knew he’d made the right choice, in his heart he knew that no matter how long he stayed this was the right place for Buck to come stay tonight. 

Finishing dinner didn’t take long, the benefits of a simple pasta recipe, and as if on cue the trio appeared downstairs as he was finishing. Usually he didn’t have to call up for them, they’d be lured downstairs by the smells wafting up to their rooms and no matter how long a foster kid was out of the system they never lost their ravenous appetite for good food. Hen wordlessly helped Bobby get plates out and he doled out servings for all of them, saving plenty for Buck. It became apparent though as the trio dug in that their newest addition wouldn’t be joining them tonight.

“He not coming?” Chim asked, apparently thinking the same as Bobby. “Did I come on too strong earlier?” Bobby smirked, quietly proud of his eldest child’s friendly nature.

“He doesn’t know us,” Bobby told the trio. “He’s probably exhausted and scared right now, so give him some space tonight.”

“So what happens now?” Eddie asked.

“Athena is going to keep me up to date on what’s happening with the investigation. In the meantime, he’s going to school with you all and I expect you to make sure he gets to and from safely. He won’t be in any classes with you but look out for him when you can. Some officers might stop by the house in the next few days.”

“We can handle it, Dad,” chimed in Hen. Bobby wouldn’t admit it but he still felt a little smile coming on whenever he heard them call him Dad. “We’ll be good role models and all that shit.”

“How can you sit there and lie to him like that?” Chimney joked. Eddie finished wolfing down his food and stood up in a hurry.

“Don’t mean to rush but I have math homework due tomorrow morning,” he informed them before speedwalking to the stairs.

“You’d think he’d learn,” commented Hen.

“Shut up!” came Eddie’s shout from halfway up the stairs. Bobby shook his head as Chimney and Hen finished their own plates and washed them off before going back to their room. 

Bobby stayed in the kitchen for a long time, still finding time to reflect while he had a chance and a sink full of dishes to wash. It was maybe an hour later that he heard footsteps and made sure not to look up as Buck shuffled into the kitchen. Still completely silent, the boy saw the plate left over and brought it over to the microwave. Bobby kept his eyes locked on the dishes as he heard the hum of the pasta being heated up, only watching Buck out of the corner of his eye. Soon Buck sat at the table and slowly began to eat. Maybe Bobby had won tonight after all.

Later that night, Bobby was heading to bed when he decided to stop by the rooms and check in. Eddie had finished his homework at the last minute and already passed out in bed. Hen had fallen asleep in her bed while on the opposite end of the room Chim looked up long enough from his phone to catch a look from Bobby and turn it off. As he passed by Buck’s room he noticed the light was still on and looked in, seeing Buck in the same position facing the wall.

“Buck?” he whispered. He expected no response but also noticed no movement either. The boy had likely given in to sleep finally. Bobby quietly flicked the light switch off and closed the door before heading over to his own room. Sunday had turned out to be eventful after all and the coming days would likely be no different. Right before he laid down Bobby opened the drawer on his nightstand and took out a photo, lightly kissing it. Then he hid it again and got under the covers. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep either.


	2. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the next morning, and the Nash kids have the job of looking after Buck his first day back at school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn't expecting so much positive feedback to the first chapter and I appreciate it so much. Also the week I started this fic, Oliver Stark posts a photo of him as a teenager (granted it was 18 and not 14) which in my head is an unofficial endorsement of doing a teenage Buck story. Anyway, here's the second part I hope you like it!

The next morning was chaotic, as Mondays usually were. Bobby was always up an hour early on weekdays to get himself ready before the teens got up. A group of teenagers all attempting to get ready at the same time led to lots of rushing about and shouting and he needed to play referee as much as possible. After several moments of running into each other and having to hear Chimney and Hen tell him once again how they needed their own rooms, Bobby managed to corral the trio into being presentable enough for school. Homework was shoved into folders, lunches were packed, and only when he’d finally exhausted all his energy on his kids did Bobby realize he hadn’t checked on Buck yet that morning. Just his luck that he’d get a new foster child to take care of just in time to start the school week. 

The boy wasn’t in his room and Bobby hadn’t seen him in the middle of the morning rush, no doubt he was still a little overwhelmed. After searching around for a minute, Bobby found Buck already downstairs and fully dressed on the couch. His bag was clutched tightly in his grip and he made quick, shy eye contact with Bobby, who kneeled in front of the teen.

“How are you doing Buck, you alright?” Another brief moment of eye contact followed by a slight nod. “I want you to walk with my kids to school for the time being, I know you guys haven’t exactly gotten time to get to know each other but I promise they’re good kids and if you have any problems they’ll help you out. Do you have a cell phone?” Buck quietly shook his head. “Alright if you need to call me at work, find Hen, Chimney, or Eddie and they’ll let you borrow theirs. Just do the best you can today.” He offered a smile to Buck but the boy just nodded again. His expression was one of pain and mistrust, Bobby badly wanted to just wrap him in a warm hug but he knew he couldn’t force things to move any faster. The trio finally came downstairs with their backpacks on, ready to go.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” grumbled Eddie, still smoothing out his bedhead. Chim elbowed him in the side, gesturing over to Buck and Eddie corrected himself slightly. “Sorry, just hate Monday mornings.”

“Everyone be safe,” Bobby told all of them. He gave a knowing look to Hen and she approached Buck as if he were about to bolt any minute.

“Hey Buck, you ready to go?” Buck slowly stood and followed the trio out the front door, casting one more glance back at Bobby. Bobby wished he could call in today and maybe keep an eye on Buck at home, but alas he just had to trust that he’d be okay at school.

On the walk to school, Buck deliberately hung behind the trio but nonetheless stuck close to them because Bobby had told him to. He noticed Chimney was definitely the talker of the group, sometimes Hen would banter with him or Eddie would offer a remark but even if no one was answering he’d keep on going anyway. They kept checking to make sure he was still behind, all of them wearing expressions of pity every time they locked eyes with him.

“So, you’re a freshman right?” Chimney finally asked him in an attempt to include him in the conversation. Buck couldn’t help but look down at his shoes when all eyes were on him, part of him attempted to speak but yet again all he could muster was a nod. Hen seemed to register this.

“Chim, I don’t think he’s in the mood to talk,” Hen chimed in, Chimney quickly getting the message. “We weren’t very chatty either, at least not me and Eddie. Chim’s always been this way, scientists haven’t discovered why yet.” The trio laughed at Chimney’s expense, for a moment Buck let his guard down before putting it right back up. 

Finally they arrived at school and walked into a vast central hallway that split into all the branches of the building. It felt so strange for Buck to be back, he supposed he was lucky that they didn’t need to make him change schools and he’d been in the same building just a few days ago but everything felt so different. The weirdest thing was that the trio all went to the same school he did and they might’ve passed in the hallway before but never really met before all this. Granted he had never been much of the outgoing type. Buck’s thoughts were interrupted when he saw a jock-looking older boy striding up to the group.

“How’s my favorite bunch of losers doing?” he asked snidely.

“Clever, Sal,” Hen shot back. “Did you spend all weekend coming up with that or did you figure it out by Sunday morning?” Sal Deluca was a name Buck vaguely remembered, one of the kids who actually thought playing sports in high school gave him some level of superiority. Despite his attempt to avoid attention, Sal eventually spotted Buck and his grin got wider.

“And who’s this?” He pushed past the trio and Buck instinctively took a step back. “Wow, look at that there’s a whole set now. Is your foster dad Angelina Jolie?” Eddie aggressively forced his way in between Sal and Buck.

“Leave him alone,” he growled. Sal didn’t take the challenge well, puffing up his chest and getting in Eddie’s face.

“Or what, freak?” Chimney, being the oldest, pulled Sal away as Hen put an arm in front of Eddie to stop him from escalating.

“Back off, Sal,” Chim said diplomatically. “If you get caught fighting you’ll get benched.” Sal stared down Hen and Eddie who were blocking him from getting to Buck, then his gaze moved back to Chimney.

“Stay out of my way,” he warned with a hiss, shoulder checking the oldest Nash as he stormed away.

“Eddie, you’re an idiot,” Chim said once Sal was out of sight. “You want to get in trouble again?” Eddie’s glare seemed to soften now that the bully was no longer an issue.

“I hate that guy,” he mumbled.

“So do we,” replied Hen, “but he’s not worth it.” Turning to Buck, she said, “Sorry Buck, you got kind of unlucky with who you’re forced to hang around. We’re not exactly in the popular crowd. Most people leave us alone, but sometimes you have dicks like Sal. He thinks it’s hilarious we’re all from different families and different ethnicities. Even living in LA, sometimes the ignorant ones find their way through the cracks.”

“If anyone starts harassing you, come get one of us in between classes,” Chim offered. “Us weirdos got to stick together.” The warning bell for first period rang loudly and the trio began to part, Chimney giving a last “Good luck” before heading to his own class. Eddie gave Buck a pat on the shoulder and then left as well leaving only Hen. Neither her nor Buck said much else, but she stayed with him long enough to walk him to his first class even though he knew the way. Buck thought as he entered the classroom that they were foster kids like him, they probably knew how it felt. He wanted to trust them, especially after what happened in the hallway, but he knew that even other kids in the system could hurt him if they wanted to. This whole situation terrified him, and he might’ve been young but he’d learned long ago that his life wasn’t as simple as good guys and bad guys.

Hen proceeded through her day mostly like clockwork, she made sure that one of them was always keeping an eye out for Buck but they’d been through enough temporary placements that it didn’t disrupt their routine really. She didn’t know exactly what his situation was before coming to them, but when Bobby used the word investigation it told her enough. Knowing she’d be booked for lunch the next few days at least, Hen decided to take a discreet bathroom break halfway through her third class. She’d finished her work early and so she had no worry about needing to get back soon, plus her math teacher trusted her enough that she had no issue getting the pass. Once she reached the bathroom, she looked around to see if anybody else in there.

“You got here first,” said a voice from behind her. Hen spun around just in time to be pressed up against the bathroom wall and felt a pair of lips against her own. At first she gave in, but then forced herself to pull away.

“Karen, what if someone saw you come in here?” Hen demanded. The pretty junior in front of her just smirked and kissed her on the cheek.

“Relax Hen, not like we haven’t done this before.”

“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be discreet.” Karen groaned and mocked falling onto Hen’s shoulder.

“How much longer are you going to make me do this, baby?” she inquired. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of what people will think because people have been making fun of you since middle school. No offense.”

“Those people aren’t who I’m worried about,” Hen whispered.

“You still haven’t told them yet? Why?”

“Because right now I’m safe, right now I’m loved. And it doesn’t matter how much you think you know someone, you never know how well ‘Hey I think I like girls’ is going to come across.”

“Really?” Karen asked with an eye roll. “You only think you like girls.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Hen, I’ve slept over at your house, I know your brothers and Bobby. They’re not going to care. I mean you share a room with Howie, how has he not noticed you texting me all the time?”

“I promise I will do it soon. It’s just not the right time right now. We just got an emergency placement last night, kid in a bad spot. Bobby’s focused on him for the time being.”

“Fine, but then you’re out of excuses. I see what hiding this is doing to you, Hen. And I’m kind of over the whole hiding in a bathroom thing.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Hen said with a smile, planting multiple kisses on Karen’s lips. Their situation wasn’t perfect by any means, but it would have to do for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I didn't intend at first to sideline Bobby for this chapter, but I wanted to show Buck at school and build on the trio a little bit as well. Bobby and Buck will still be the central characters in this story but the teen firefam is fun to write. I hope to update again soon and I'm also working on the next chapter for my other fic Saving Buck. Feedback is always appreciated, let me know what you thought!


	3. After School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really sorry for the long time between updates, wasn't intentional but I've been figuring out where to go next with these chapters. This update is shorter than the first 2 but I wanted to make sure you guys knew I'm definitely not giving up on this story. All of the support so far has been super amazing and I hope you still enjoy this chapter.

When Bobby got home from work, he knew from the pairs of shoes scattered by the front door that his kids were home. Buck had placed his neatly in the corner as out of the way as possible. Bobby saw Chim on the couch with the TV on, watching an action movie he’d seen a hundred times before.

“Hey Chim, where’s Hen and Eddie?”

“Hen’s in our room texting I assume and Eddie is on his Xbox again,” Chim answered without moving his eyes from the screen.

“How’s Buck?”

“Still nonverbal but other than that he seems okay. Turns out Sal isn’t a huge fan of him. Nothing happened though.” Bobby was well aware of the teenage punk who continually gave his kids a hard time, surely the last thing Buck needed right now.

“Alright, make sure you don’t forget to do your homework,” he warned Chim before heading upstairs.

“Who do you think I am, Eddie?” Chim responded with mock indignation. Upstairs, Bobby could see Eddie and Hen both occupying themselves in their respective rooms. After checking in on them he poked his head in Buck’s room.

“Hey bud, did your first day back go okay?” he inquired the boy, receiving a nod in response. “Chimney told me you all ran into Sal Deluca, did anyone else give you a hard time?” Buck shook his head no. “Buck you know no one here’s going to force you to talk or come downstairs or do anything you don’t want to do. I know you have no reason to trust us, I’m not going to condescend to you because I think you’re too smart for that. But I just hope that if you do want to talk, you know that you can. I’m here.” Something in Buck’s expression changed as he looked at Bobby, he nodded again and Bobby was satisfied at least that it seemed the kid believed him.

Dinner came and went without much of a fuss, it wasn’t Sunday so Bobby didn’t try and force his teenagers to sit down and eat as a family. He made himself his own food and plopped down next to Chimney in the living room, half paying attention to the movie and half scrolling through the internet on his phone. Later that night, his phone rang and he noticed it was Athena again. He signaled to Chimney to mute the TV and the answered.

“Hi Athena.”

“First day go well?” she asked.

“As well as can be expected,” he answered honestly.

“I’ve got an update for you. The police want to ask him some questions about what happened at his old house. They’re going to come talk to him tomorrow night.”

“Athena I don’t know if he’s going to tell them anything. So far he hasn’t said a word.”

“It’s part of the process, nothing I can do. But as temporary guardian I need you to be in the room when they talk to him.”

“So make sure they don’t get too aggressive with the questions? Got it. Thanks for the heads up, Athena.”

“Talk soon, good night Bobby.” She hung up and Bobby sighed deeply. Having to supervise a talk with the police was never fun, they usually forgot they were talking to a kid and not a suspect. He had to make sure they, and mostly Buck, were ready for tomorrow night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought, feedback is always appreciated! Hopefully I will be updating this again very soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought! I don't plan on all the chapters being this long, but there was a lot of information I wanted to include in this first chapter. We'll learn much more about Buck's situation going forward and the backgrounds of the family as well.


End file.
